1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cleaning system and specifically is directed toward a system which recirculates stored petroleum distillates removing water, suspended solids and destroying microbiologic growth in the distillate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fuel storage tanks have long suffered from the problem that water condensing in the tank and separating from the fuel together with microbial growth and particulate matter have made the fuel unusable for generators and internal combustion engines. Attempts to solve this significant problem have taken the form of filters and chemical additives. While filters have been used to remove particulate matter and separate water from the fuel, the discharge of the water has resulted in unsafe and unhealthy conditions while bacteria growth in the fuel clogs the filters. The use of chemical additives to kill the organic growth can result in toxic conditions in the resultant waste water which are harmful to humans resulting in violations of the Environmental Protection Agency regulations for discharge of waste water. Such waste water may have to be specifically disposed of in defined areas or further treated to neutralize the chemicals present. Furthermore such chemical additives have specific life spans and must be carefully metered to correct proportions when used with the fuel. An additional problem is involved in accurately mixing the chemical additive with the fuel to prevent bacterial growth while precluding harmful combustion by-product discharges.
The present inventive system performs water separation, particulate filtration, microbe and biological decontamination and fuel re-circulation or transfer. The system controls range from a basic manually operated twist timer to a sophisticated microprocessor controller with key critical alarms and optional remote monitoring capability. The operations of the system are performed by diesel fuel particulate filter mechanisms which perform water separation and particulate removal, bacterial decontamination and systematic fuel re-circulation with optional microprocessor controls. The system is designed for operator set automatic cycling (unmanned) via an electronic timer and other controls and will be operational weekly for a duration determined by the fuel quantity in the storage bank, for a maximum 30 hours/week (1560 hours/year) based on recommended re-circulation cycles (150% of tank capacity).
It is an object of the invention to provide a fuel recirculation and cleaning assembly with long service life and minimal maintenance, consistent with the life expectancy of the continuous power supply systems or internal combustion engines they are designed to protect.
It is another object of the invention is to provide an open/skid mounted design suitable for installation inside an existing weather-proof enclosure or in weather-protected mechanical or engine room with a stand-by generator or engine.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a wheeled open/skid mounted design suitable for moveable installation inside an existing weather-proof enclosure, or in weather-protected mechanical or engine room.
It is yet another object of the invention to automatically re-circulate diesel fuel at a minimum flow rate of 250-1350 GPH.
In response to the needs still left unresolved by the prior art devices, the present invention simultaneously treats and recirculates fuels. These and other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent when considered with the teachings contained in the detailed disclosure along with the accompanying drawings.